A 6-month-old male infant presents for a well-child check. Examination reveals a palpable right testis in the inguinal canal that cannot be manipulated into the scrotum. The left testis is normal. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

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Refer to pediatric urology. The correct answer is to refer to pediatric urology. Spontaneous descent of undescended testes is rare after 6 months of age. Guidelines recommend referral at this age to facilitate timely surgical correction (orchiopexy), typically performed between 6 and 18 months to preserve fertility and monitor for malignancy risk. Distractor 1 is incorrect because waiting until 1 year delays necessary planning for surgery. Distractor 2 is incorrect because hormonal therapy is not a standard first-line treatment for anatomical cryptorchidism. Distractor 3 is wrong because imaging is generally not indicated for palpable testes before referral.

A 6-month-old male infant presents for a well-child check. Examination reveals a palpable right testis in the inguinal canal that cannot be manipulated into the scrotum. The left testis is normal. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

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